Just a Kid
by AnimeWolfGirl9
Summary: Despite being Jehuty's frame runner, Leo is still a kid and thus susceptible to certain predicaments.
1. Illness

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters/places/anything mentioned from Zone of the Enders and everything belongs to its respective owners.**

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Illness

"Alright, that's enough for today," Rock Thunderheart's voice came through the intercom of the Vic Viper, causing Leo to let out a sigh. He felt relief, but he could also tell that they were ending practice earlier than usual.

Ever since he had woken up, Leo could tell that something was off. He didn't feel like he normally did; instead, he had several 'distractions' to work through. He had made a mental checklist in his head: the back of his head strangely hurt from time to time, he felt kind of warm (the air conditioning in the Orbital Frame had only cause him to shiver though), and he felt like he hadn't gotten any sleep. The symptoms made him come to the only possible answer: he was getting sick.

Despite all of this, he didn't want to cancel practice. He could have always requested that they use the simulators today, but he felt like a burden if he would change the schedule, so he didn't say anything. He could tell that his mentor knew something was off though.

"Your reaction time is a bit slower today. Everything alright, kid?" he looked over at the older man as he got out of the cockpit, noticing how his movements were less organized than usual as well.

_At least I don't have ADA ranting about my mental condition,_ he felt his mood drop a bit at the thought, knowing that it was exactly what ADA would have been doing if he had been piloting Jehuty. 'She' maybe would have even forced him to quit practice, but the fact that he wasn't piloting Jehuty, and that ADA wasn't constantly with him, made it impossible for 'her' to know.

"Yeah, I'm good," he answered, giving a half-nod. His body felt a bit heavy, but he tried to maintain a normal posture despite this. The older frame runner gave him a suspicious glance before turning to leave.

Leo turned to follow, but stopped as the heaviness seemed to spread through him. He caught himself by leaning on the wall. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep his 'act' up for much longer.

"I'm going to head to my room and get changed," he stated quickly, walking off in that direction before his friend could ask any questions.

The hallways were strangely quiet, making him wonder what the rest of the crew of the Atlantis did. He shook his head, not able to come up with answers.

Trying to ignore the pounding in his head, he finally made it to his room. The door closed automatically behind him as he removed his jacket. That was as far as he got, however, and he collapsed onto his bed.

He almost wished that he could talk to Celvice. He didn't want to dump any of his problems on her, but being able to talk to one of his 'friends' would have been nice. The problem was that she had gone back to Antilia the week before, planning on visiting her friends and family. He smiled a bit, feeling glad for her but realizing that there wasn't much left at his old home for him to go back to.

_Not one of the best times to get sick,_ he mused, trying to remember the last time he had been sick. It wasn't too long ago, maybe a little over a year and back when he had been living in the S02 residential unit with his father. Since his father was normally out of the house and had little interaction with his son, Leo had always just learned to wait out the sickness.

"I don't have all day to wait it out though," he muttered, staring at the digital letters floating on the wall that signified the time. He had studies to go to in a few hours, but maybe that would be enough time. The rational part of his mind told him that with the way he was feeling, he would need longer.

_Resting sounds better than going to the cafeteria anyway,_ he thought, drifting off into sleep.

When Leo woke again and stared at the clock, he realized that he was long overdue for classes. He jerked upwards, realizing that his body didn't feel as heavy as before. His head still pounded and he was still shivering, but he felt as though he was getting a bit better.

When he had sat up, he hadn't realized that something had fallen off of his head. Staring down at the object, he realized that it was a slightly wet rag. He looked around and noticed that his blankets had been pulled back as well, and a tray of soup and water was on the table beside his bed.

_When did all of this get here?_ He wondered, staring at the soup for a moment before shaking his head. He was debating whether he should get up and go to his classes despite being late, but stopped when the door to his room opened.

"How are you feeling, Leo?" Elena walked into the room, soon followed by Rock Thunderheart. Leo gave a weak smile, feeling kind of embarrassed.

"A bit better," he wasn't going to lie to them, "but how did you-?"

"It's not hard to tell when someone feels under the weather," Rock answered this time, making him look down at the ground. So he hadn't been very successful in hiding it then…

Elena noticed his actions. "Everyone gets sick from time to time. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

He hesitantly nodded, not quite sure how to deal with the situation. He never really had anyone taking care of him when he got sick, so the fact that they were helping him seemed foreign, but nice.

"You go ahead and get some rest," his mentor's voice made him look up again, "We'll catch up on what you missed tomorrow."

"Alright. Thanks," he nodded, watching as they left the room before lying back down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, he realized how similar the situation was to the last time, but this time there was a difference: he had people that he could rely on.

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Quick explanation: this is going to be a series of one-shots based in between Zone of the Enders and the Second Runner (the summary is sort of self-explanatory). I have a few ideas already, but if you would like to see something, I could try to fit it in :) Please tell me what you thought in a review!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	2. Discovery

**Delphi913:** Yeah, I didn't really like how Celvice wasn't in the 2nd Runner. It seemed kind of strange, considering she was motivation for Leo to go after Viola in the first game, but I guess it focused more on a new set of characters. I do have something for that planned (I guess you could say that will be the very end of the fanfiction, considering the second game would start shortly after that), but I'm hoping to include a lot more before then. Thanks for the feedback!

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Discovery

Leo had expected the day to start out as it normally did, but from the moment he had woken up, his 'schedule' had been in disarray. The normally quiet hallways had been alive with workers and mechanics; people chatting as they walked. The loud number of footsteps had caused him to get out of bed earlier than normal to see what was going on.

Celvice apparently had the same idea; he saw her exit her room on the other side of the hall just as he did. He gave a half-wave, not sure of what to do. She did the same, both of them understanding their predicament: there were so many people in the halls that they couldn't very well reach each other easily.

After a few minutes of wrestling through the crowds, Leo had finally made it to where Celvice was waiting. She unintentionally laughed at his exhausted expression, her hand trying to cover her mouth as she smiled at him.

"Wonder what this is all about?" Leo realized he would have to shout for her to be able to hear him over the other people, causing them to laugh again as he motioned at the workers around them.

"I'm not sure," Celvice kept pace with him as they started walking in the same direction as the others, "maybe Mr. Thunderheart will know?"

The suggestion made it seem quite obvious, but Leo just hoped it wasn't something bad happening. As far as he could tell, it didn't seem like an attack, but something _had_ to be going on, what with the way everyone was acting.

_Maybe we're the only ones who don't know yet,_ he mused, finding the atmosphere of the hallways to be a bit more suffocating than usual, _and rightfully so._

They finally made their way to the hanger, where the larger room allowed them a breath of freedom. Their next problem would be finding his mentor among the crowds of people, but Leo also realized there were more ships that he didn't recognize mixed in with theirs.

_Hope Jehuty's alright,_ he glanced around the hanger, not seeing the Orbital Frame that was inhabited by ADA. He let out a sigh of relief, realizing that they must have moved the frame to the backup hanger to continue repairs.

Something touched his arm, which caused him to flinch, but he calmed down when he realized it was only Celvice. She pointed towards the northern part of the hanger, making him understand what she meant. The noise in the hanger was greater than it had been in the hallways, hurting his ears a bit.

Leo quickly recognized his mentor, Rock Thunderheart, as they got closer. He wasn't dressed in the normal practice uniforms that they used for the LEV Vic Vipers, which only confused him more.

"What's going on?" Leo had to shout again in order to be heard, making him briefly wonder if he would be able to talk tomorrow after all of this. The absurd thought made him shake his head, knowing that he shouldn't be focusing on that.

"The _Atlantis_ is being boarded," his mentor shouted back, looking around at the masses of people. Leo shared a concerned glance with Celvice.

"You mean by enemies?" she asked, her voice containing a bit of fear. Leo couldn't blame her; it was his fault that she had been hurt in the first place, so it was only natural that she was afraid of being hurt again.

Rock Thunderheart glanced down at them, and Leo registered a look that seemed like disbelief. If they weren't being invaded by enemies, then who was boarding them?

"I forgot you two haven't been around here for that long," his mentor gave them a calculating look before smiling; "the _Atlantis_ isn't being boarded by enemies. We're meeting up with another UNSF freighter for resupplying."

"Oh," Leo wasn't quite sure what else to say. It did make sense that they would need to resupply, but he hadn't even thought about the fact that other freighters did exist in the UNSF.

"If you don't mind me asking, why does everyone seem so excited?" Celvice's eyes were filled with a bit of confusion. It did seem like everyone was preparing for a party, at least that what it looked like to him…

"Other than getting more supplies," Leo added, knowing that couldn't have been the only reason for the heightened spirits. If it was, then he was starting to feel slightly concerned.

His mentor didn't answer for a moment, looking at them as he thought. "Well, that could be for a number of reasons. Since the freighter is the _Phanagoria_, it's one of the larger ships. Some people might have friends or family that they can visit, a break is coming up since one of the Earth holidays are coming up, or maybe they're excited for a tour…" Rock Thunderheart stopped talking and looked at the clueless expressions of their faces.

"A… tour?" Leo knew what the word meant, but it didn't make much sense to him at the moment. Why would someone go on a tour of the other freighter? Didn't they all look the same?

Celvice seemed as confused as he did, but she asked something that he hadn't given a thought to. "What Earth holiday is coming up, Mr. Thunderheart?"

"It's just Valentine's Day," his answer made them even more confused, "but you can't celebrate much if you don't have someone to share it with."

_Why is he staring at us?_ Leo wondered, not understanding the explanation much. He opened his mouth to ask what his mentor had meant, but clearly he wasn't going to explain it to them.

"You two will figure that out in a few days or so," Rock Thunderheart seemed to dismiss the thought, causing Leo to get a bit disappointed. _But I don't really understand what you meant…_

Leo glanced down at the hanger doors, seeing them now open. Another replica hanger was connected to theirs, making it almost seem like a mirror. People were flooding in and out of the two hangers, making a blur of colors below them.

"Why don't you two go explore a bit?" his mentor's suggestion made him look back at the older man.

"But don't we have training to do?" Leo's question made the more experienced frame runner laugh. Leo didn't find it so funny; he thought it was more of a serious question. Of course, Celvice didn't have training to do, so maybe that's what he had been laughing about.

"Go ahead and have fun for a bit," his mentor waved them off, making Leo realize that this was going to be another weird day. _He's not acting like he normally does, then again, maybe he has a serious side to him as well as this one…_

"That was certainly… interesting," Leo had paused for a moment, wanting to come up with the right word to describe the situation. Celvice gave a small laugh as they continued walking into the other hanger. Just as he had thought, the hanger didn't look any different than theirs.

"This should be fun though," he glanced over at her, seeing her smile as she looked ahead of them, "Maybe we'll even meet some new friends."

_Always the optimist,_ he thought with a smile, glad that he at least at one friend. She always seemed to be looking up, no matter how bad the situation was.

"Where should we start?" he asked, trying to look around through the large amount of people. It really stunk when most of the other people around you were taller…

"Maybe we should just head into the hallway?" Celvice suggested, pointing towards the door that would hopefully give them a bit more room. Leo agreed; he sort of felt like he was being squashed.

"That's a good place to… start," the last word came out slowly as the doors opened, causing Leo to realize that they weren't going into a hallway. They were going into an elevator. "This is an elevator. How do they have an elevator?"

Celvice looked over at him, laughing a bit at his expression. "I guess we have a long way to go."

"I think this tour is self-guided too. I don't see anyone who could help us with our way around…"

"Maybe we should have asked Mr. Thunderheart to come with us?" Celvice's suggestion made him look back at where his mentor should have been, but he saw that he was already gone. The elevator doors closed a moment later, trapping them inside.

"We might be in trouble," he gave a nervous laugh, stepping back a bit from the doors and pressing one of the buttons.

The elevator started to move upwards, being pushed from below by a strong air current. Leo watched the Metatron course through the lines in the elevator, most likely powering it after the air current was out of reach. He really didn't know what to say.

"It's sort of like a homecoming," Celvice stated softly as they watched the floors increase, "it's nice that everyone gets to see each other again, despite being separated for a long while."

"Yeah," he nodded, remembering that she had just gotten back from Antilia a few days ago. He hoped she wasn't homesick already… "How was your trip to Antilia?"

"The repairs seem to be going well, and I was really glad to see everyone," Celvice looked over at him, an unknown emotion in her eyes. She almost looked sad. "You should really come with me sometime. I'm sure that everyone would be glad to see you."

"I hate to say it Celvice, but there's no one there to see. I don't know anyone," he adverted his gaze to stare at the Metatron infused lines again, "it just doesn't make much sense."

"I'm sure my mom and dad wouldn't mind you coming to visit, and don't you want to find your-?" he cut Celvice off before she could finish.

"No, I don't. I don't have any idea where he could be, and besides, he didn't seem all that interested in having his son around anyway," he concluded, hoping that she would drop the subject. It was strange how he had felt so much more comfortable talking about the same subject with ADA, but he found it harder with everyone else.

Celvice stayed quiet for a few moments, and he was afraid he had hurt her feelings. When she spoke again, her voice was barely audible, "You could always come visit me."

Her statement made him turn to look at her. Her gaze was cast to the floor, and he felt the hidden meaning behind her words. "So, your stays might be more permanent next time?"

"I'm not sure yet," she shook her head, then turning her gaze to his, "but I can't just leave my family. They need me as much as I need them."

A mechanical voice interrupted anything else that would have been said. "You have arrived at your destination. Please exit via the doors to your left."

"Maybe I will come visit you then," he gave her a small smile, exiting through the doors and into the hallway, ready to leave the conversation behind and see how different the freighter was.

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This chapter turned out way more… depressing (not sure if that is the right word to describe it) than I had originally planned. I wanted to put Leo and Celvice in a situation that was sort of like a field trip (exploring another planet was the only other option, and I didn't think that the Atlantis would make a 'planet pit stop' on the way to Mars). Sorry if anyone was a bit OOC; trying to work out how to write Celvice since it's my first time writing anything with her in it (I did have fun though). I hope you guys enjoyed this and please tell me any thoughts in a review!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	3. Instinct

**Delphi913:** Yeah I was hoping to add some more places during the course of this fanfiction (it's not like Leo only stays on the Atlantis during that two year time skip :) ). And I have a plan for that too (more explanation at the end of the chapter). Thanks once again!

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Instinct

Leo believed he had never felt so frustrated in his life other than that moment. The reason for his frustration: the holo-desk in front of him. Well, if he was honest, it wasn't necessarily the desk that was the issue; it was his assignment for the day.

The studies he took as an in-training pilot were useful. They supplied him with strategies for taking down enemies and allowed him to learn more about the Orbital Frames. The learning part wasn't the problem; it was mainly the testing part.

Leo had never really thought about the fact that he wasn't good at tests. They never really had anything quite akin to school on Antilia, so he hadn't needed to take them. Of course they learned necessary skills, like reading and writing, but everything else he felt like he had learned from a book, or maybe from watching someone. The fact that he had to be tested on what he had learned was new.

Today's assignment was on the sub weapons that Orbital Frames could use. Of course, the Vic Viper's arsenal of sub weapons was less extensive than Jehuty's was, since the Earth Orbital Frame was still in the testing stages, but that didn't seem to be the problem.

He sighed as he wrote down the answers, or at least what he thought were the answers, and pressed the submit button. The test was now locked, meaning that whatever he had written down was final. Instantly, he started to second guess his answers.

_There's nothing I can do about it now,_ he stood up and left the room, wondering what the worst that could happen would be. He went through the scenarios in his mind, not even noticing when someone came walking up to him.

"Leo," he had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Celvice approach. She gave him a smile, and he already knew what she was going to say. "How was the test?"

"I think I flunked," he answered honestly, not wanting to say otherwise. It would be great if he had better confidence in his skills, but he already knew that he didn't yet, so there was no point in lying.

"I'm sure you did fine," she encouraged, but then continued when she realized her normal tactic wasn't boosting his spirits, "What makes you so sure you did poorly?"

"I don't know. I just can't remember anything when they sit me down like that," he shrugged, not quite sure of how to explain it, "I can remember everything about the sub weapons when I'm piloting Jehuty, or even the Vic Viper, but it just seems to go right out of my head when they want me to write it down. It's almost like…"

"Instinct?" she offered, and he nodded. It did feel like an instinct; he knew what to do when the time came, but he wasn't quite sure of all the details.

Celvice's pace increased a bit and she turned to stand in front of him, blocking his path a bit. She could really tell how worried he was about it, but he wasn't sure if she understood why he was concerned so much.

"The worst that could happen is that you have to retake the test, right?" she asked gently, causing him to nod. The problem wasn't that; he didn't mind retaking the test. The problem was that his mind was thinking years, or maybe even months into the future.

"It's not that I'm worried about," he walked around her, heading over to lean on the wall, "what if I have to tell people what to do someday, like in a battle? What if I can't remember the formations and someone ends up getting hurt because of my mistakes?"

He glanced over at his friend, finding the guilt to still be there. No matter how many times Celvice told him he couldn't have stopped what happened, he still couldn't get rid of the feeling that it was his fault she had gotten hurt. And it didn't stop there either…

"Leo, you might not have to do any of that someday," Celvice's words were meant to comfort him, but he just felt worse.

"But what if I have to Celvice? What if they need me to and-?" he started to ask, but her hand on his arm made him stop. The small gesture made his gaze travel to the floor.

"Leo, you don't have to fight any more if you don't want to. You've already done what they wanted, but it's your choice now as to what you do."

He looked up at her and gave her a small smile, feeling a bit better. She might not understand fully all of his fears, or even his motivations for doing things sometimes, but at least she would be there for him.

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This one is definitely shorter than the others, but I wasn't quite sure how to continue. There is definitely going to be a few reoccurring themes throughout the chapters, and motivations or feelings for something may not be revealed right away, but they will be in time. I do have an ending for this, it just might not be for a while (and everything builds up to the ending). I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	4. Nightmares

**Fireminer:** Haha, funny thing is that I have been trying to plan one with Dingo (for after the epilogue, as a bonus) while keeping towards the theme of the fanfiction, but that shouldn't be for a while since all of these chapters are in-between ZoE and the 2nd Runner. I would like to have more with Dingo and Ken though (for afterwards), so if you have any ideas, please let me know!

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Nightmares

Leo jolted awake, his fear making him sit up in his bed. He was shaking slightly, but not from the cold; it had been something far worse. _Another nightmare,_ he thought, letting out a disheartened sigh as he ran his hand through his sweaty hair.

Leo should have expected that nightmares would be common by now; he had been shoved into too much at once, and that had consequences. Not that he wasn't doing a good job of taking it in stride, but his nightly dreams haunted him.

The nightmares weren't always the same, but the theme of them generally was. Usually, it contained Anubis, the twin frame of Jehuty that he had encountered at the Hub. Someone, or maybe even multiple people, was normally there too, and the outcome was always the same: they always were killed.

No matter how much he told himself that it was a dream, the outcome still scared him. Anubis would always kill whoever had been in the room – sometimes, it was Celvice, other times it was Rock Thunderheart or Elena, or maybe even his father – and then the Orbital Frame would come for him. He always woke up before he was killed in the dream though.

He released a shaky breath, trying to calm his nerves. It had just been a dream, so why did it bother him so much? At the end of the day, everyone was fine, so he shouldn't be so worried.

_But what if I can't protect them?_ He wondered, pushing the covers away from his body. The thought persisted as he exited the room, deciding to walk off his nerves.

Everything that he saw or felt in the dream, it was always so _real_; like no matter how many times he tried to reassure himself that this wasn't happening, he just couldn't let it go. He turned down one of the hallways; letting his feet guide him as his thoughts wandered.

The other kids on Antilia used to tease him about his dreams. Sure, he used to have nightmares back on the colony, but they seemed insignificant compared to the ones he had now. They always used to say that you woke up before you died in a dream because if you did die while dreaming, then you would die in the real world too. Leo wasn't quite sure why he had confided in them, or even if he really believed in what they had told him, but some part of it made sense. _Which means that I never want to die in a dream._

His focus came back to where his feet had led him, causing him to realize that he was in the hanger. His gaze wandered over to Jehuty, which was still in the process of major repairs.

"Maybe a quick visit with ADA will help," he muttered, wandering over to the frame. He touched the exterior of the cockpit and felt the familiar texture of the 'screen' fade away. Hopping into the seat and allowing the 'screen' to fill over the cockpit again gave him a sense of security.

As he waited for the cockpit to activate, his mind wandered to what could be causing the nightmares. Obviously, his grief over Celvice getting injured was one of them, and he didn't want that to happen again. Maybe the fear of others that he cared about being taken away from him caused anxiety too?

_I wish that he wouldn't have to go,_ Leo thought, silently chastising himself at the idea. Rock Thunderheart was scheduled to go on some sort of 'mission' with a squad of other pilots, so maybe that could have been something that was bothering him. _No, it's definitely bothering me. What if he doesn't come back?_

The inside of the cockpit lit up blue, causing him to forget his depressing thoughts as he smiled. "Good morning," ADA's voice rang through the cockpit, causing him to laugh at the truth. ADA was right about it being morning; it was probably around three o'clock.

"Good morning, ADA," he answered back, feeling better already now that he felt a sense of normalcy. Leo normally didn't visit ADA because of his busy schedule, that and most people didn't like someone in the cockpit when the repairs were being done. He didn't mind though, so he snuck off whenever he could to visit.

"Repairs to Jehuty are still on-going. This frame is considered to be in a restricted access to all but a few operatives. What is the meaning of your presence here?" 'She' asked him, causing him to lean back in the seat a bit. Explaining to ADA that he was technically breaking the rules wouldn't do much, but he figured he could at least tell 'her' the truth.

"I guess I just needed someone to talk to."

"There are countless other presences aboard the _Atlantis_. Would another have been more suitable to talk to?"

"No, I don't think so," he shook his head, knowing that ADA wouldn't necessarily object to him talking to 'her', "I just have a lot on my mind."

ADA didn't answer him and he didn't expect 'her' to. He just felt comfortable even sitting in the silence, listening to the sounds of the Orbital Frame that had become familiar to him. When he was piloting Jehuty, he could forget all about his nightmares, but he knew he would have to use the Vic Viper for a while longer. _Maybe forever, if ADA goes through with her mission…_

"ADA, you once told me not to throw my life away," he started, hesitant that 'she' would know he was trying another attempt to dissuade the mission, "but why would you give yours away so easily after you told me not to?"

"It is the existence bestowed upon a lifeless being such as myself," came her routine answer. He sighed, wondering if 'she' knew any other way of explaining it.

"But you aren't lifeless; your life has meaning too, even if you are who you are. You can't just throw it away," he tried again, finding that his hope was fading with every day that passed. How would he be able to convince ADA not to sacrifice 'herself'?

"I have no other purpose other than the programs instilled into me," ADA's answer made his sadness come back, "After the mission is fulfilled, I will no longer be needed."

_That's not true; I'll still need you,_ he thought, remembering the conversations that he and ADA had on their way to the Hub. He knew it was no use; ADA wouldn't change 'her' mind, but he was going to continue trying up until Jehuty had to leave. _It's the least I can do._

He felt depressed at the thought, but quickly tried to think towards happier things. Leo had gone to a form of counseling while in Antilia; one of the older ladies that lived in his residential unit had been a psychiatrist before being transported to the colony, so she had been able to help him deal with his feelings on life. Despite his experience with his 'depression', he found that the tips she had given him weren't helping.

"ADA, I know that this probably isn't the case, but have you ever had a nightmare?" he asked after a pause, finding that 'her' answer would be obvious, but maybe talking about what had caused him to come out here in the first place might help to calm him.

"No, for I am incapable of feeling such things. There have been recorded instances of the term 'nightmare', but I have never experienced such a thing."

"Oh, ok then," he mumbled, feeling slightly sleepy again, "they are scary though. They feel so real, it's like everything that you fear comes true."

He wasn't going to tell ADA that 'her' leaving was one of such nightmares that he had in the beginning, and even more so now. He knew that Jehuty would be done with repairs in a matter of months, and then everything would change.

"I am not capable of feeling such 'fear', but your feelings are not illogical," 'she' answered, causing him to smile. When he thought back to how different the two of them had been when he had first stumbled upon Jehuty, it was funny to see how much they had changed.

"Thanks," he whispered, figuring that he should get back to bed. He had more lessons in the morning, so he didn't want to accidently sleep through those. "ADA, can I still continue to visit you?"

"If that is what you wish, although the 'visit' is not unwanted," Leo smiled at 'her' answer, finding that maybe ADA needed his company just as much as he needed 'hers'.

He nodded, finding that the dark clouds that had been his nightmares had become less threatening. "Good night ADA," he climbed out of the cockpit, not before hearing a reciprocated "good night".

* * *

Wow, it's been a while since I have written anything (well, for this fanfiction, I mean. I'm still working on a few pre-writings for Zone of the Enders). Personally, I had to keep rewriting this chapter because no matter how many times I put it, it didn't come out as well as I had hoped. Hopefully this one was better (I certainly feel much more confident with this revision). Rock Thunderheart's 'mission' will be mentioned more in the next chapter; I just figured I would leave a little teaser for the next one. Either way, please tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	5. Worry

**Fireminer:** Now that you mention it, I wonder why I didn't even think about that! Thank you so much! The ideas are flowing in my head :) That might have to be a multi-chapter arch! And I haven't played the Fist of Mars, but I want to so, _so_ badly. I'm searching Ebay and Amazon for some sort of luck on finding one.

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Chapter 5: Worry

A few days had passed and then Rock Thunderheart had to go on his mission. Leo had no clue where they were going, nor what they were doing, but he couldn't necessarily stop them. He was quickly learning that anything the UNSF did was important.

"It'll only be a few days. You'll be fine, kid," his mentor had reassured him, probably knowing how nervous he had felt. At the time, Leo really did believe him. The UNSF planned out their strategies according to the situation at hand, trying to make them the least risky that they could.

So Leo waited for a few days, finding other things to fill his day. The days had passed and then turned into a week. Elena informed him that they had lost contact with the group on the eighth day. His nightly visits with ADA became more frequent as his worry grew.

_Where are they? Are they alright? Do they need help? What if he doesn't come back?_ The thoughts that plagued his mind were constant, ripping away at the confidence that he had held earlier that week. Where had all of it gone? His mentor had said that everything would be fine, but where was he now? Did he even remember what he had said?

The seven days turned into another week, and then another, before the group of Orbital Frames and LEVs had appeared on the _Atlantis _radar. The frames had long since entered the hanger and pilots were still celebrating over a successful mission, yet Leo could not name the feeling that had taken over him.

Rock Thunderheart stood a few feet away, most likely informing Elena about the mission's outcome. Leo walked closer to them, feeling almost shy. Maybe shy wasn't the right word; was it embarrassed? Angry? Disappointed? None of the words seemed to fit.

His mentor finally seemed to take notice that he was there and came over with a full-fledged smile, obviously not realizing how miserable Leo felt. "The mission went great," his friend informed him, making him realize how tired he was of hearing it, "I hope you figured something new out while I was gone."

Leo nodded half-heartedly, the feeling sinking further into him. "Yeah, but…"

"Practice will start up again tomorrow at the same time as usual," the older pilot probably didn't realize that he was starting to make his way towards someone else, leaving Leo behind a bit.

"I-" he started, glancing down at the ground before finally being able to say what was on his mind, "you said it was only a few days." His voice came out softer than he had thought it would, causing his friend to have trouble hearing him.

"Hmm?" Rock glanced back at him, stopping when he realized the expression on Leo's face. The boy guessed that he had been so preoccupied with everything else that he hadn't noticed.

"You said the mission would only take a few days. That was three weeks ago," Leo finally found his voice again, "I was worried you weren't going to come back…" The word finally came to him, verbalizing what he had been feeling. Worry that he would lose someone close to him all over again…

"So that's what this is about," his mentor mumbled before coming back towards him, "Leo, I'm sorry, but we lost communication and there was no way to get a message through."

Leo nodded, his gaze still on the floor. The feeling seemed much deeper than he had originally thought, making his discomfort grow. "I know that," he whispered.

They were silent for a moment, and then everything became clear to the both of them. Leo had never felt this way before because he never had anyone to care about, but Rock Thunderheart was sort of like the father he never had. He didn't want the closest thing to family taken from him.

"Leo, I'm not going to just up and leave," Rock placed a hand on Leo head and ruffled his hair a bit, causing the boy to smile. Despite the fact that his mentor had come back late, it had revealed a few things to both of them.

* * *

Yeah, another short one, but I figured that I wanted to get a chapter on parent relationships in this one. I always thought that (in between the first and second games) Leo and Rock Thunderheart would have this father-son relationship after a while, considering Leo never really had any contact with his father. I know I said that more information on the 'mission' would be revealed, but I didn't find it necessary to add too much in this chapter. Maybe I can add more details later, considering the plot does develop with some mention of what has been happening between BAHRAM and the UNSF during the two years. Either way, I would like to hear any thoughts on this chapter and sorry that it was so short.

-AnimeWolfGirl9


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